A man is walking down the street to go to the pharmacy. Along the way he comes across a hole in the ground, not a big hole, nor was it a little hole. This hole was in fact, a medium sized hole. To note, this hole did not take up the whole sidewalk but only approximately half. This man, seeing a problem with the sidewalk, decides that, being there were no construction crews or surveyors, he would take it upon himself to fix the hole in the walk, so he might easier get to his destination. So, realizing the daunting task in front of him he immediately runs to the hardware store to pick up wood, steel, water, and concrete. Over the next 48 hours he proceeds to fix the hole and stand watch to make sure that noone will ruin the concrete, lest he should trip on a fault.
This is, to no surprise, a fictional story, but also not entirely alegorical.
What I am picturing in this story is how we, as christians, tend to make Christianity, or aspects thereof, far more complicated than they really need to be. I do not mean to say that we have no need to stop every once and a while, in my personal case, everyday, and fix the “holes” in our spiritual lives, quite the opposite, from my own experience we should take time everyday to fix the holes in our lives. What I mean by this illustration is that why do we stop to build a way over the hole in the ground to get to our destination when we can just, simple as it sounds, walk around it. As I was reading this morning from 1 Samuel. I took note of, what I believe to be a foundational fact which we overlook on a daily basis, David, and every time that he came across conflict, be it in his mind or in the physical, SIMPLY went to God and asked, “can I do this God…what should I do God?” Why then, I ask, do we think that it is only possible to speak to God or receive answers from him through a long and rigorous process? The answer to this I don’t know but it is a question that plagues my very being.
grace and peace and mercy in abundance
Alright so I haven’t been able to update for a while because I just haven’t had any time. So here I’m sitting reading a book and telling you about the past couple of days. I’m on my iPhone so this will more than likely be a short one. Alright so it has been super hot out here lately. Like almost 30 degrees. So I have gotten a sweet tan unlike any of you. I kid. But seriously I got a mad tan going on right now and I’m proud of it. I’m more tanned now than I usually get in an entire summer at home. I’m going to be black by the end of summer. Well my classes have been really good and I’ve learned a lot from them and just being in the GPR. The most impacting thing thus far has been one of the neighbour girls. I’ll explain if you ask me when I get back. It’s kind of a long explaination. That and just some revelation that i’ve gotten from reading one of mike bickle’s books. But ya. So I’ve been talking with one of the guys from my course and it turns out that he is a veteran from the Vietnam war. So I was talking to him about that and he was part of easy company of the 101st airborne division. Which is probably the most famous military company in history. And then he also later on served in Vietnam in the US special forces. It has been really cool to talk to him and learn some practical wisdom from him. Ya so today I was in the prayer room during Jon Thurlow’s set. And half way through they start doing this huge crescendo for like 5 minutes and then right as he got to the peak. The power cut out. It was pretty neat. That’s it
Blessings.
Alright so I didn’t actually post anything yesterday because I was lazy and I didn’t feel like it. Anyways, so while I was in the intercession block in the GPR there was this guy, I call him Mr. Hip Hop, that was like hard core against hip-hop! and very vocal about it. It was funny how he said it though. This is word for word what he said, I got a chuckle or five from it.
“Father I pray that the high school kids would turn away from hip-hop and turn into IHOP”
I don’t know if he was actually opposed to hip-hop, but he said that several times so I gathered taht he wasn’t a huge fan. Ya so yesterday also I was talking to the hippy in my commission and he actually came to me and apologized and admitted that his theologies were wrong and that he was deceiving people with them. We had been discussing his theologies for the past week. Ya that was sweet I was pretty pumped that he got some true revelation in him. It’s great to see what God is doing in his life. (he is a very new christian by the way) ya I need to go because someone is getting pissed behind me and staring at me. I’ll try and explain the rest sometime.
Blessings
Alright, so I have been here two weeks now and I will be home in two weeks. I am excited. This last week has been a bit of a whatever week but I have started to take a real liking to reading so I have been doing that to occupy me. I don’t have much else to say. good night.
-General George S. Patton Jr.
Alright well fro some reason this ting isn’t working very well because I posted a text thing and it didn’t actually post. Probably some error on my part but whatever. I will sum it up. I had a dream the other night and the only thing I could remember when I woke up was that I had been told several times to read 1Peter. So naturally I did when I woke up because I was curious. I read and then I noticed an over arching theme in the book (for the most part). The theme was this. “rejoice in suffering.”. I instantly started laughing a real nervous laugh. This is because that has been the theme of what I have been reading for the last week!!! For some reason every book of the bible that I read, wherever I randomly choose to start reading. BAM!! “Rejoice in suffering!”. Needless to say I am starting to get the feeling that God is starting to prepare my heart for something. More than likely some form of suffering. Oddly enough I am looking forward to it. More out of a curiousity as to what it is than me actually wanting the suffering. But that in itself I question because the bible talks about blessings for those who suffer for their faith. It’s a toss up for me right now. But I’m leaning toward the looking forward to it bit. Anyway on to what has been happening as of today. So today I was in the GPR (global prayer room) and it actually started off pretty good, which is unusual for me (usually I start off just bumed). So I was just praying and praising, because that’s about all you can do there when you are happy. And then I started asking God for some sort of revelation on what he wanted me to do when I get back home. Then I waited, and waited, and waited some more. Then He spoke. he gave me this sweet revelation on how he views me and how he wants me to act. Then he showed me how a marraige in life is the prophetic of how the church and Jesus are supposed to be. The nex bit is all what God gave me.
“Josh, why do you keep looking at yourself and saying that you’re not worthy or strong enough to do what I have put in your heart? Why do you keep saying NO, I am not worthy of it? I want you to stop believing the lies that you are not worthy or that you are not strong enough to do it. I have said you’re worthy, I have made you strong. Would you expect, or even like it, if your wife kept crawling to your feet and saying she is not worthy or strong enough to do something that you asked her?”
That was the first part, paraphrased.
The next part was too long to paraphrase so I will just try to explain it as best as I can, I pormise it sounds better the way God said it but I don’t remember everything he said. Actually nevermind I have to go so I will just explain it later.
blessings
